In My Head
by SABATHco
Summary: Set in 1994, Lydia and Betelgeuse have become best friends since the accident in Winter River. But Lydia can't stay forever and is ready to grow up. How will Betelgeuse handle that Lydia is no longer a child, and is a woman who is ready to go to university-not to mention the possibility of finding a love interest.
1. Briarwood's Academy for Boys

In My Head.

**Characters: Betelgeuse, Lydia and other various cast members  
Setting: AU set in 1994  
Warning: Contains profanity, adult themes, slow relationship.  
Notes: Please note that characterisations are half between movie and cartoon and some facts will vary between either movie or the cartoon series. **

I: Briarwood's Academy for Boys.

How many years had they been friends now? From the move to Peaceful Pines from Winter River and throughout Lydia's school years? And now she was talking about prom? _Prom!?_ Since when did this even happen!? Not to mention, this was Lydia, of all the gals. He figured prom would have meant nothing to her.  
Betelgeuse sat on the end of Peaceful Pine's finest gothic girl's bed, rubbing his knuckles over his black tie. "Well, you can always turn me loose and turn on the Juice—if ya know what I mean?" he chortled, Lydia looking at him with a raised brow. "Whaaat!?"

"C'mon, Beejay, this is a 'once in your lifetime kinda thing'," she mimicked her step-mother, "I'm going to be finishing school soon. I'm eighteen now, not the little girl you tried to marry all those years ago. I'm going to go to university!"

Betelgeuse felt an awful burn inside his stomach. Was he getting sick? Oh great. No wait, right, it was guilt. He quickly shoved it away and floated off the bed. "Babes… never bring that up again," he mumbled, rolling his eyes. Despite the whole Maitland ordeal, he was surprised Lydia and he even _became_ friends. However, such a nice girl couldn't resist a creature in need—even his ghostly nature.  
He was also trying to deny the fact that Lydia would be going away for university soon. For what, he didn't know. He didn't ask. He didn't _want_ to know. As far as he was concerned… it wasn't happening. He was completely in denial. The living and their aging didn't sit so well with him anymore that his best friend was one.

Lydia shrugged her shoulders. She'd long forgiven Betelgeuse for his actions when she was a young teen. He'd been messed up and desperate to get out. Come to think of it, she never even really knew how he'd died. She just knew he'd died a long, long time ago. She felt a bit awkward asking. Lydia hardly analysed people, nor judged them. She took them how they were.  
If there was one thing she did know about the Neitherworld, though, was that the dead remained looking like how they died. The Maitland's were sopping wet with how they drowned. Betelgeuse, though? Definitely a long time ago—not that she hadn't come to enjoy his afterlife look.  
For a while, she thought he may have died locked away in a prison of some sort. His skin was pale, his eyes were sunken in, and his personality definitely seemed like he got into a lot of trouble. Then again, if that was the case, wouldn't he be much thinner if he died from malnutrition? She didn't know, and most of the time she didn't care to know. Betelgeuse was Betelgeuse—dead or alive.

Setting his boots down, Betelgeuse folded his arms. "So if you're school's an all-girls school… who ya meant to be goin' with? Or you gals gunna be dancin' with each other—ya know what I mean?" he said slyly.

"Betelgeuse."

"What!? It's not like you can blame me for askin'." All in all, he hadn't lost his charm.

Lydia rolled her eyes once more at his hyperactivity. "Betelgeuse, it's not like that." She'd gotten used to his crude humour. Now that she'd become of age (not that she ever thought like that), his humour had become much more open. She did appreciate that he kept his tongue cleaner (if that was possible) while she was younger.  
"They're going to be putting the boy's school with us," she sighed, sitting on the end of her bed and patting Percy, the house cat, who mewled under her affection.

Betelgeuse eyed the cat jadedly. "You don't know any of them, though. How ya gunna dance if you don't know 'em!? That blows…" A puff of smoke huffed from his nostrils, which made Percy sneeze and Lydia giggle. He smirked as Percy soon shot out of the room.

Waving her hand, the girl stood back up and gave another shrug. "They're coming over to the school tomorrow. Miss Shannon wanted us to meet them so we could get to know them. A bit of social interaction."  
Betelgeuse's face twisted with amusement for a moment but she put her hand up. "I'm not going to Juice you, Beej. Prom's big in this time of day. And I doubt anyone's going to ask me, so you've got nothing to worry about." She looked down at herself, expelling a teenage sigh.

"Hey, those guys have gotta be nuts if they didn't wanna take a sweet lil' hottie like you," said the poltergeist with a wink. "C'mon, babes, don't be so hard on yourself. You're smokin'! Any ghoul would want ya."

Lydia giggled girlishly once more. If there was one thing Betelgeuse could do, it was cheer her up when she knew she had to deal with something negative. Prom wasn't exactly her forte. But this did give her a chance to meet new people and make a new dress. She was certainly keen on that.

"No, babes, you're really smokin'."

Looking at her arm, Lydia's gown was puffing smoke. She was about to scream before the smoke disappeared and she gave the ghoul a look of annoyance. "Betelgeuse, watch what you say, you're going to ruin my gown."

"Never dreamt of it, babes," he grinned cheekily before she said his name three times. With a pop, Betelgeuse was sent back to the Neitherworld, looking through the mirror to her room.  
"Aw, c'mon! You know it happens by accident sometimes!"

She knew all too well Betelgeuse's tongue could cause trouble. "I gotta get some sleep, Beejay. I'll see you in the morning, okay?" Lydia turned out the light and it went dark.

Slumping, Betelgeuse floated back into his living room in the Neitherworld. "Prom? Shoulda seen this one comin'." His voice was flat and almost disappointed. "Shoulda showed her how to dance. She'd love it! Chicks love dancin', right?" He fancily twirled around for a moment before he came to a dead halt. That gave him an idea. So, these boys coming to her class tomorrow? He grinned. That could be arranged.  
Snapping his fingers, his suit was replaced with a cosy bed robe and he floated into the coffin and closed his eyes.  
Betelgeuse wasn't exactly known for his caring nature. In fact, the only person he really cared about at all was Lydia. Okay, maybe his neighbours Jacques and Ginger, but not much—he had a reputation to keep here. Lydia was his best friend, as foolish as it may sound. Now she was going to be going to prom. This was a real wakeup call. Lydia was going to be leaving very soon… Not to mention she was a young adult…

*****  
When morning came, Lydia got dressed into her school uniform, hearing her step-mother, Delia, call her name from the kitchen. She didn't think she'd be excited about today but she could feel it creeping over her skin and her heart pumping nervously.  
Every now and again the boy's school would join for school games or excursions, but it was never something this… intimate. It suddenly dawned on her that she'd look utterly lonely if no one chose her to dance with. What if they didn't? She couldn't stand this day turning into a nightmare she'd have to live with for the rest of her life… Not to mention Claire Brewster.  
Claire would, no doubt, be named the Prom Queen. Lydia didn't care about things like that, though. She just didn't want to be humiliated. Delia would make her go no matter what, so it wasn't like she really had a choice. Besides, as much as she hated cliché, this really was a onetime offer.  
As she was about to head down to the kitchen, she heard a familiar clearing of the throat, looking behind her and in the mirror. Her eyes opened wide at the ghost leaning against the frame.  
"Betelgeuse?"

"That's B.J, babes, if you wanna pass it off right," said the ghost, showing off his school uniform that matched the boy's school across town.

Lydia sighed nervously but couldn't supress the giggle. "Alright, but you have to behave. If the teachers find out you're not really a student, you'll be in a lot of trouble."

"It was either this or Betty, and to be honest with ya, babes, those underwear can be really uncomfortable… That and I'd still be grosser than any boy at prom." He appeared younger than his usual form, but his hair was still the same rough mess of blonde.

Lydia shook her head, not having asked ever what the hell happened downstairs when Betelgeuse changed to Betty Juice—or any girl for that matter.  
"Alright, but promise me you won't prank anyone." That was a big deal for the poltergeist.

Betelgeuse's eyes narrowed as he put his hands behind his back. "Just say it three times and I'll be on my way."

"I mean it." Lydia walked over to the mirror and looked at him seriously, despite the fact he looked ridiculous in a school boy's outfit. "Put your hands up, no crossed fingers, and _promise_ me you won't cause any trouble today. You really want me to go dateless?"

Shoulders slumping, Betelgeuse grumbled and rolled his eyes, huffing as he showed his hands and wriggled his fingertips. "Fine. I promiseIwon'tprankanyone…" he muttered all too quickly.

"So I can hear you."

"Alriiiight! I promise I won't prank anyone. You happy now? Let me out!"

Lydia smirked as she watched him closely. "Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse." There was a loud cackle from the ghost before he popped up beside her, fixing his tie and looking suave.

"Now… shall we go?" he said poshly, extending his arm for her.

"I still need breakfast, Beejay. Unless you wanna stick around for Delia's cooking, then I'd advise you go."

Betelgeuse stuck out his tongue. "Good point," he snorted as he grabbed a beetle from his pocket and it tried running away. "Whoa, guess my breakfast is on the go!"

With a crack, Betelgeuse was gone once more, Lydia expelling a worried sigh. He promised he wouldn't do anything—did that really mean much from Betelgeuse, though? Suddenly, she felt a horrible dread settle in her stomach. No, he'd behave. He'd behave unless he wanted to be locked in the Neitherworld forever.  
As her step-mother called out her name once more, she grumbled to herself and packed her bag, heading down to the kitchen and eating breakfast (hesitantly) before she escaped on her bike to school.  
When she arrived at Miss Shannon's School for Girls, there were more cars here than she'd ever seen before. The teachers were standing outside as the boys and girls were mingling. It was creepy in a way, but she was more than happy to see her friends Prudence and Bertha sitting alone, so she joined them.

"Hi, Lydia," said Bertha. "I can't believe they're pairing us with boys from Briarwood's Academy," she said loudly. "They're never gunna pick me."

Lydia laughed lightly. "Sure they are," she said with a smile. "At least they're not completely afraid of you. Besides, remember the last few annual get togethers we had? You guys really rocked their world!" Well, with the help of Betty Juice.  
At that moment, all three of them looked up when they heard Claire's voice from across the grounds as a bunch of boys surrounded her.  
Lydia rolled her eyes and folded her arms as she sat down on the bench beside her friends. Even with Betelgeuse around, Claire was still a real pain in the arse. Where had that ghost gotten to anyway? He should be here by now.

"Is there really any room for competition?" asked Prudence, reading a book. "I don't even care to go. We have exams coming up after this! Much more important, in my opinion."

"But it's a once in lifetime thing," said Lydia, looking at the redhead with glasses, her nose still buried in her book. "I know it's not what I'd usually care for, but you'd regret it if you didn't go, right? Plus… this will be one of the final times we get to see each other before moving to university after exams." She hadn't forgotten about those either.

"Like you're ever going to make it to college," said Claire, having moved closer to the group of three. "You're not even going to have anyone to dance with at prom, let alone the money to afford college! What does your family do again…?" She laughed wholeheartedly as the group around her snickered.

Lydia's brow furrowed as her hands tightened. She was going to throw something witty back, but then a voice stopped her.

"I'd take her."

Everyone turned to the voice, as if shocked. The young man had dark, shoulder length hair and pale skin, almost like Lydia's herself—without the gothic makeup.  
Lydia's eyes opened in embarrassment. It had to be Betelgeuse, right? No one in the Outerworld would dream of taking her to prom! No one even knew her! Admittedly, she was a bit angry over it. He shouldn't do this to her, even though she knew he'd just be trying to stick up for her and prove Claire wrong. Betelgeuse hardly looked this… clean, though.

Claire waved her hand as the group of teenage boys around her laughed. Clearly they knew him more than she did.  
"Freaks, they're probably related. C'mon, like, let's get out of here," she scoffed, turning her nose up. One of the boys hit his shoulder hard into the other.

When the other group left, the boy moved up, rubbing his arm. "I'm Victor," he said, moving his hand out.

Lydia raised a brow, looking around for a moment. It had to be Betelgeuse… "Lydia," she said quietly as her friends just watched her shake his hand. "B.J, right?"

The boy looked confused. "Excuse me?"

This made Lydia burn an even brighter red beneath her foundation. "Um… nothing. Victor, right? H-how long have you been at Briarwood? I haven't seen you before."

"I don't tend to make myself noticed much," said the boy with a smile.

"Hey, who's the peewee?"

This time, Lydia knew who that voice belonged to. She looked past Victor to see the real Betelgeuse, taller than them all (but Bertha), his blonde hair roughed up and his uniform already messy.  
"B.J, what have you done to yourself?" she asked, shocked. How long had he been out for and he was already messy!? She mentally scolded him.

"I was just checking things out…" he mumbled to himself innocently as he'd been checking out the girls.

"Lydia, who's your… er… friend?" asked Bertha, moving away.

"Oh… this is B.J… he's uh… related to Betty," she said, snickering a little as both girls moved even further way. Victor, however, seemed unfazed by his 'different' appearance.

Betelgeuse put his hair back and looked down. "We're twins… 'Course, I'm better lookin' than her, she just has a nicer rack." He smoothed his hands over his flat chest.

Lydia subdued a chuckle once more.

"I've never seen you before," said Victor, eyeing the taller boy.

"Really? I get out a lot—if ya know what I mean?" Betelgeuse snorted, nudging him with his elbow. "So, Lyds, you found a loser you wanna go out with yet? Ya know I'm free. I could rock this dance-thingy!"

Looking between the two, Lydia frowned to herself. "Uh… I… don't know. I was thinking of just… going alone. You know, giving the other girls a bit of a chance?" she joked, hoping it would lighten the mood now.  
She couldn't go with Betelgeuse, he wasn't even a student! Not to mention it meant she'd be rejecting Victor in front of other people—even if she didn't know if his offer was true or not. She didn't want to hurt her best friend's feelings, either.  
Before anyone could say anything, the bell rang and Miss Shannon said that the boys and girls could get to know each other more during their breaks. For now, classes were to be fully attended to.

"I'll talk to you later—?"

"Lydia," said the girl.

Victor smiled through his curtain of dark hair. "I'll talk to you later, Lydia."

When Victor left, Betelgeuse snorted. "Pff, seems right up your ally, babes. Tall, dark and… boring. Maybe if I juiced him, you woulda gotten more emotion outta that tone."

Lydia shot him a look as Prudence and Bertha headed in for class immediately. "Beejay, you can't be here. People are already asking why Betty isn't here. Now you're twins? Someone's gunna find out about you and I can't have that. Don't you remember what happened last time?"

Betelgeuse's smile faded as he crossed his arms. "No one's gunna know it's me, Lyds. They don't even _know_ of me! Shame, really," he muttered, looking at his fingernails. "Besides! I didn't prank anyone! Coulda gotten that little bitch Claire, but I was good! You're gonna toss me? I didn't even break my promise, babes!"

The girl's eyes flattened. He was right. She let him out and he hadn't done anything bad—yet.  
"Okay…" she sighed, "but you still have to behave. And please don't hurt anyone who tries to talk to me… And please explain to me how you managed to get mud on you already?"

Looking offended, Betelgeuse put his hand over his heart. It didn't fool Lydia and he chuckled. "You know me… can't help myself." Despite the fact one of the girls he was hitting on had pushed him over. He did like them feisty.

Shaking her head once more, Lydia stood up and grabbed her bag. "You've got school to go to," she mused, looking as his expression fell. "You wanted to be here, you have to mingle with your classmates! I'm sure they're just _dying_ to get to know you."

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all…" he muttered, Lydia giggling. He smirked as they both headed into the school. They separated when they went to their assigned rooms and at the back of the class, Betelgeuse noticed that little dweeb who had been talking to Lydia. Hey, maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all. He could certainly get to know what the hell his problem was, not to mention stop him and Lydia from ever happening.  
Lydia didn't need someone like Victor. She deserved someone much better. Someone who could make her laugh! Take her out on scary movie dates! Someone who knew how to handle her. Someone like… well, he didn't know, but it wasn't Victor.

**Author's Comment:**

_This is the first time I've written anything Beetlejuice related, so... I adore the cartoon and it's my fave Tim Burton movie ever. But we all know in the cartoon there was something more than just friendship between these guys._

_Please note that Betelgeuse will be toned down a bit from the movie, and toned up a bit from the cartoon. He's a bit somewhere in between. And, of course, there will be some things from the movie and some from the cartoon that I prefer. It's an AU after all :) _

_I'm posting this chapter EARLY just to see what happens. Updates will come more regularly depending on how this trial goes._


	2. Advice From the Grave

Chapter II: Advice from the Grave.

Sitting at the back of the class, Betelgeuse took the furthest seat from the teacher he could, leaning back in his chair. He couldn't believe he was doing this—well, actually, he could. This was for Lydia, his best friend. Plus, he was here now, he couldn't exactly back out. But be damned (again) if he was going to come back tomorrow to this.

"Alright, boys. While we're here, classes are still on. So, would everyone please take out there math books."

Maths! Maths!? Betelgeuse's hands slapped the sides of his head to stop it from literally spinning as he choked on his tongue to keep quiet. No one made him do maths! It was time to Juice his way out of this.

*****  
In her own class, Lydia's mind wandered as Miss Shannon stood at the front of the class, her head down as her pencil scribbled in her sketch book. She'd tried listening but her mind kept wondering about Victor. He was a nice boy, but she didn't know him. Was he really serious about taking her to prom? Or was he just sticking up for her while Claire was there?  
She mentally sighed. She was grown up now. She'd soon be leaving. She never really thought about boys—probably because she never really had a chance at ever liking one like that. Every guy she'd ever met who may be interested in her was someone… well… dead.  
Then there was Betelgeuse. They were just best friends, though. Despite their past, Betelgeuse had certainly tuned down while around her. He'd, surprisingly, helped her out of her depression when she was younger. Especially when she'd had to move away and couldn't see Adam and Barbara every day. She'd never forget that.  
He always knew how to make her laugh when she was feeling down, how to stick up for her when someone was bothering her. Not to mention help her out when she was in trouble—although that was usually because he put her there. Hell, they may as well be a couple just without all the touchy feely stuff.  
She chuckled a little to herself before gasping as there was a loud noise from across the hall and immediate laughter. Everyone's head turned to the door as Miss Shannon opened it to see what all the fuss was.  
Screaming, the teacher was almost knocked down by the boy's school. Oh, no… This had to be Betelgeuse's doing.  
"B.J!" she heard the male teacher yell down the hallway as the rest of the boys disappeared down the hallway, drenched from head to toe. She gulped. What had he done now…?

*****  
"I can't _believe_ you blew up a water pipe!" Lydia yelled, Betelgeuse wearing a more than pleased expression. She groaned heavily, huffing.

"Aw, c'mon, babes, they were gunna make me to math! MATH!" he yelled! "No one makes B.J do math and gets away with it. Besides, Lyds, I ain't cut out for this. Rules…" He put his nose up and brushed his hair back before it roughened up again.

Lydia shook her head. "You promised you wouldn't prank anyone, Betelgeuse. You lied to me."

Betelgeuse stiffened, looking up as he was sitting outside the principal's office. "But… babes, I didn't prank anyone! Technically, I pranked a whole class," he snorted. "Besides, isn't the main thing that nobody was hurt? They all got a laugh!"

"You still lied to me. You promised," she said. "I'm sending you back."

"No! Wait! I can fix this," the ghost yelled in defence and agony that he had to fix something. He zapped himself into a pair of overalls. "Mr Beetleman can fix it. And earn some cash on the side," he said, wriggling his brows.

Once more, there was a huff from the girl. Well… as long as he was fixing what he'd broken, Lydia didn't really have anything against what he was saying.  
"And what are you going to do about B.J?" she asked. "_He_ has detention!"

Betelgeuse got to his feet rather enthusiastically. "No problem, Lyds! I'll just split in two!"

"No!" Lydia grabbed his hands to stop him.

Betelgeuse stopped, raising a brow.

"Remember the last time that happened? There's no way I'm dealing with two of you again…"

"Oh, yeah…" the ghost mused. What a real riot that had been. Even Betelgeuse couldn't get along with himself.

"I'm sorry, Beejay, but you're going to have to serve your punishment and look like a normal student."

Betelgeuse stiffened at the 'N' word. "Being normal—you know I hate it."

"Only for one day, okay? And then I'll send you back. I think this time it's gone too far, especially if someone finds out about you. I'm surprised no one's ever mentioned Betty never being here…" she sighed with relief. Perhaps everyone enjoyed her _not_ being there, though.  
"I'll wait for you after class. But, please, _please_ don't get into any more trouble. I mean it when I say I'll send you back."

"Alright, alriiiiight," complained the poltergeist as he rolled his eyes. "Anything for you, babes." He looked over his shoulder as the door opened and Miss Shannon stepped out. Lydia gave him a warning look and he sighed, standing up. Whatever it was, it couldn't be worse than making his best friend feel bad. Still, a stray spider or cockroach couldn't always be blamed on him!

*****  
When Lydia was waiting by her bike for Betelgeuse to finish his after-school detention, she sat on the ground with her sketch pad open, doodling the funny image of Betelgeuse dressed in his school uniform.  
She couldn't help but giggle at the image. She wondered what horrendous torment he was suffering during his detention. He had all the time in the world, really, but this was Betelgeuse.  
Her thoughts were stolen from her as she heard someone softly say her name. Honestly, she was expecting Betelgeuse, but instead, Victor was standing there with his bag draped over his shoulder.

"Waiting for your friend, B.J? He won't be out for a while, if you want some company?" said the dark haired young man.

Lydia felt a little awkward, but nodded. "Sure, you're more than welcome." After all, why not? It wasn't like she could really stop him anyway.

Taking a seat next to Lydia on the ground, Victor smiled lightly in her direction. "What are you sketching? I love art, too."

Instantly, Lydia felt herself blush. Despite the fact that she'd been around the Neitherworld a hundred times and others had seen her art, she seemed more comfortable with the ghouls rather than regular, alive people. Or 'breathers' as they called them.  
"Oh…" she said nervously, closing the book, "I was just… sketching. Nothing drastic." She made a small laugh in the back of her throat.

Victor smiled politely once more. "So, are you really into the whole prom thing? I wasn't lying when I said that before. I'd take you. That is, if you don't already have someone to go with? I certainly don't," he said with a small chuckle.

Prom was coming up soon, in two weeks to be specific. Honestly, Lydia didn't want to go with someone she didn't know and she didn't want to be put on the spot either. She hardly _knew_ Victor or anything about him. She just knew his name, and now that he enjoyed art.  
She smiled back but she didn't nod. "I think I'd like to think about it, if you don't mind," she added. "It's just… I've never done this before, and to be honest… we don't even know each other." She meant no offence, but she would rather this night be a good one.

"Well, we have two weeks to sort that out, don't we?" Victor said happily. "Perhaps we could be the ghouliest of the bunch!"

Lydia couldn't stop a laugh, but then she remembered who she was waiting for. "Betelgeuse," she whispered to herself. "I appreciate your offer, but I really would like some time to get to know you better—I hope that doesn't offend you."

Victor shook his head with a laugh. "Of course not, Lydia. I would be more than willing to be friends. Why don't we go and see a movie together? Something scary, of course!"

"Sounds real tempting, Chuck."

Lydia jumped as she looked up, Betelgeuse leaning against her bike over the top of them. "Bete—B.J!" she corrected, "You kind of snuck up there."

"Thanks, babes, you always know how to make me feel better," said the ghost with a grin.

"What did they make you do for detention?" Lydia stood from her seat and grabbed her bag, putting it on her back.

Betelgeuse groaned. "Don't mention it, Lyds. I haven't done lines in a lifetime," he snorted.

Lydia nervously laughed. "Sorry, Victor… I better take B.J back home," she said, looking at the blonde-haired ghost. Quite literally she needed to get him home. She had to study and Betelgeuse needed to be sent back to the Neitherworld before he started any more trouble.

Victor eyed the both of them in a funny way. "Oh… I'm so sorry, I didn't realise you two—,"

"What!? No!" Lydia burst in. "It's not like that, we're just friends." Her and Betelgeuse? No way! They were just best friends. It couldn't possibly get any weirder than that!

Betelgeuse let out a high pitched cackle as he slapped Victor on the shoulder, almost knocking him to the ground. "Good one, pal."

Victor looked very confused for a moment before he stepped back and grabbed his bag. "Um… right… Okay… Well, Lydia, I'll see you later. We'll have to discuss a movie night."

Lydia just smiled politely and waved as Victor headed off. Her shoulders relaxed as she looked at Betelgeuse who had love-hearts in his eyes. "Beejay!"

"Heheheh, I crack myself up," he muttered before he buzzed himself back into his regular clothes, a black and white striped suit, his boots and tie.

"It's not like that, I don't even _know_ him." Lydia blushed and felt somewhat guilty for even talking to another guy. She knew Betelgeuse could get incredibly nosey when someone new came into her life. She was honestly surprised he was taking it so well.

Betelgeuse's hair turned shorter and covered one eye to impersonate Victor. "But I am _dying_ to get to know you, my dear Lydia." A death lily popped into his hand as he handed it to her.

"Betelgeuse…!" Lydia chuckled as the ghost went back to normal. He really did always know how to put a smile on her face.

"C'mon, babes, let's get outta here. We can go watch-,"

"I have to study, Beejay," Lydia interrupted, "Just because prom is coming, doesn't mean I can flunk my grades." She saw Betelgeuse's shoulders slump, but the ghost played it off like it was nothing.

"No worries, babes. Just means more scary movies for me!"

Lydia giggled as a bucket of 'pop-beetles' apparated into Betelgeuse's hands. "Don't forget you have to fix the pipe you broke here. You'll get cash in hand for it," she said enticingly, the ghost's tongue hanging out before she summoned him back to the Neitherworld and headed home.  
When she arrived home, she unpacked her bag, changed out of her school uniform, got some food and headed back out on her bike with her camera. It was a ride, but she peddled over the Winter River bridge and headed back to the Maitland's home.  
The house was still empty and unsold. Of course, why would anyone want to live there when it was haunted? Despite her step-mum and dad, the place did begin getting a little too crowded. Plus… her father couldn't relax as much as he wanted to knowing the house had other people in it—dead or alive.  
Pulling up, she leant her bike against the side of the house that was a replica of the one they had in Peaceful Pines—Delia didn't want to change a thing when they moved. Plus, she could make the whole house her way, instead of sharing with the Maitland's and their 'lack of artistic eye'. She grabbed the key that was under the fake rock and opened the door, heading up to the attic.  
"Mr and Mrs Maitland, it's me, Lydia," she said, opening the door. She stepped inside and greeted the two ghosts in a friendly manner. After all this time, of course, they knew about Betelgeuse and their friendship. However, they hardly approved of it after what had happened inside this household.

"Exams are coming soon, Lydia, shouldn't you be studying?" asked Adam.

"I will be tonight," Lydia promised, "but I wanted to see you guys for some advice…"

Both of the ghosts looked up and stopped what they were doing.

"Well, sure, honey, what is it?" asked Barbara.

Lydia felt embarrassed as she took a seat. "It's prom." The two ghosts looked at one another, "And… someone asked me to it, but I don't know what to do because I don't know them. I wasn't expecting anyone to actually ask me. If it weren't for Delia telling me it's a once in a lifetime thing, I probably wouldn't even go."

"Oh, honey, this _is_ a once in a lifetime thing! And trust us, you never know what could happen with that one life," said Barbara comfortingly.

"Who's the boy?"

Lydia looked up at the Maitland's once more. "His name is Victor. That's all I really know. He's from the Briarwood Academy for boys."

"What did you say?" Barbara asked.

Lydia shrugged, "I said I didn't know… That I had to think about it. He wants to be friends—I don't see the harm in it."

Adam raised a brow. "What about Betel-," Barbara put her hand up to stop him from saying his name, "your other _friend_?"

This time, Lydia didn't know what to say. She felt uneasy over the whole thing. She knew Betelgeuse and the Maitland's didn't get along. Even after Betelgeuse had 'apologised' for what he had done (mainly to her considering they hired him and was 'just doing his job'). Even after all the good he had done for her, they still didn't approve of her wandering around the Neitherworld (especially with someone like Betelgeuse), but that was because they preferred staying in their own house, away from the ghoulishness of the Neitherworld. She suspected they were also a tad bit jealous that he got to hang out with her a lot more than they could considering the distance.  
Lydia couldn't make it back here every day. It was quite a ride on her pushbike. Plus, she couldn't be out and about all the time, her parents worried for her enough when she 'disappeared' every now and again.  
They said that eventually they would move into the Neitherworld, just when they found the 'right place'. But Lydia had to break the news to them… there wasn't going to be any right place there—not what they were looking for anyway. The Neitherworld was what it was: full of dead people.  
"He's taking it better than I thought," she admitted, "Besides, I'm a pretty much a grown up anyway. Just because Beejay doesn't like someone, doesn't mean I can't."

"You're right about that," Adam stated, Barbara shooting him a look. He chuckled apologetically, knowing that just because they didn't like Betelgeuse didn't mean Lydia couldn't. He had no idea what she saw in him, but as long as he wasn't hurting her or tricking her in any way. And that meant _any_ way considering how perverted the ghoul could be.

Changing the subject from Betelgeuse, Barbara smiled enthusiastically, "So, what are you and Victor going to do to get to know one another better?"

"He suggested a movie," Lydia informed, "A horror, of course." She saw the Maitland's glance at one another positively.  
"Oh, come on, just because we both like horror movies doesn't mean anything! After all, I'm friends with you two, aren't I?" she laughed.

"We're dead," Adam said, as if it would make it any more scary.

Lydia rolled her eyes. "Trust me, I've seen worse," she snorted as she stood up. "I better head out, though. My father will be worrying about me if I don't come home soon, and I'd really like to take a few shots on my way home." She lifted her camera.  
Adam and Barbara said their goodbyes and wished her luck and to keep them informed of her 'date' with Victor. She promised she would before she headed back out to take some snapshots before heading back home again to study for the night.


	3. Body Guard

Chapter III: Body Guard.

After she was done studying, Lydia laid on her bed quietly thinking. She didn't really know why this whole ordeal with Victor was getting to her so much. Was it because it had just never happened before? Or was it because she was now realising that she was a young adult and it was perfectly normal for her to like someone in a romantic way? But she didn't like him that way anyway! She'd only just met him!  
She moved onto her side, Percy purring as she ran her fingers through his soft, ebony fur. It had only been one day. One day and she was overthinking it all. How childish of her. She sighed as she put her pillow over her head.

"Gee, babes, you look blue…"

Lifting the pillow, Lydia saw the ghost within her mirror, a cigarette in his mouth. She frowned. "I thought you quit!"

Betelgeuse shrugged. "I did. Besides, babes, I'm dead anyway. Not like it's gunna give me cancer."

"Obviously not, but you know I don't like it… You know you can't come in here with that. Father will freak if he smells that in here."  
Once more, Betelgeuse just shrugged and Lydia sat up. He wasn't usually this quiet, nor did he just casually go back to smoking and drinking. Ever since they'd become friends, he'd backed off on the 'bad influence' of his previous behaviour. Every now and again she'd have to put him in line, but he seemed to obey her—if only her.  
"Is everything okay in the Neitherworld?" she asked, concern in her voice. She knew he had bad habits, but usually he tried to keep them on the lowdown around her. Usually…

"Nothin' outta the usual," said the ghost. He wasn't childish every minute of the day. In fact, he was very serious sometimes. He put the cigarette out and flicked it out of sight. "Wanna let me out?"

"I can't, Beejay, it's a school night. I need to get some sleep. You need to, too. You've got work tomorrow, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah, you know I ain't gunna forget it." Betelgeuse leant on the inside of the mirror. "Saw you went back to Winter River. Old Chuck doesn't like you goin' back there, Lyds." Not that he cared about Charles Deetz.

Lydia knew her father didn't like her going back there, nor did Delia. The house was unattended now, so it could be dangerous. But just because they'd moved, didn't mean she shouldn't get to see her friends.  
Wait a minute. How did he know? "Were you stalking me?" she asked curiously, eyeing him. He just gave an innocent look.

"Well, when you put it like that, of course it sounds bad! Let's just say I was keeping an eye on you," he muttered, pulling his eye out before putting it back into its socket. Lydia squirmed a little before she folded her arms and smirked.

"Beejay, are you being protective?"

"What!? Never!" Betelgeuse stuck his tongue out as if he were disgusted. "I have plenty more things to do in my afterlife than look after a little trouble maker like you," he grinned.

Giggling, Lydia got off her bed and walked over to the mirror. "I really should get to sleep," she said softly, smiling apologetically despite Betelgeuse just examining one of the rings on his finger, "But I'll see you tomorrow at school."

"'Course. Can't forget to get my hands on some cash, right?" the ghost smirked, "Catch ya, babes. Don't let the bed bugs bite." He hissed at Percy before he vanished, the cat jumping violently off the bed and falling to the floor with a thud. Betelgeuse's chuckle echoed gleefully.

Looking at the now empty mirror, Lydia felt an odd sensation in the pit of her stomach. Why did she get the feeling Betelgeuse wasn't telling her something? Even more, why did she get the feeling that she wasn't telling _him_ something?  
She frowned but went back to her bed, slipping beneath the covers. She turned her lamp off and felt Percy curl at her feet before she was finally able to nod off.

*****  
Arriving at school, once more the boy's school was mixed with Miss Shannon's. Lydia got off her bike and put it in the stand. Her attention was brought to a group of boys who were all yelling and laughing. That's when she realised someone was on the floor inside the circle.  
"Hey!" she called out, dropping her bike and running into the circle to stop one of the other boys from hitting Victor. Blood was already on his face which meant they'd already hit him.  
"Stop it!" it she yelled, pushing the other boy away. "What the hell is wrong with you!? Can't you see he's already on the floor!?" Her chest flared in anger. How dare they torment him!? If she was only strong enough to hurt them she would have—despite her usually harmless nature. She couldn't _stand_ bullies!

One of the taller boys smirked. "Hey, look, he's got himself a little goth girlfriend," he laughed, the others around him joining in.

"You have _no_ idea who you're dealing with," Lydia said darkly as they made scared noises towards her.

"It's alright, Lydia," said Victor, his voice quiet.

"No, it's not," she pushed back. "Just you wait. You'll get what you deserve in time," she threatened. When she told Betelgeuse about this, he was going to haunt every single one of them!

"We'll come back when your little girlfriend isn't here, Vicky!"

Victor looked down as the group walked away from him. "You really didn't have to, Lydia. I don't want them making fun of you, too," he mumbled, wincing in pain as he was still on the ground. He patted himself down.

"It's nothing new, trust me. I've learnt to deal with it," said Lydia, helping him up. She frowned as she saw how bruised his face was. Obviously someone had gotten a punch in.  
"Here, I'll get you cleaned up." She took her backpack off and grabbed some of her make-up wipes. Victor tried to say it was fine, but she insisted, dabbing his cheek lightly. Luckily, it didn't look like he'd need stitches, just a bit of cleaning up.  
When she was done, she put her things back away. "You should report them," she said, looking at his face. She'd put some foundation on so it looked less red—it was still swollen, though. It would take a while for that to go down.

Victor gave a helpless laugh. "It wouldn't change anything," he said, "I'm eighteen and can't stick up for myself. Honestly, how embarrassing…"

"It's nothing you should be ashamed of. They should be ashamed of themselves! It's not your fault," Lydia said reassuringly, "They're just horrible people. Plus… it wasn't exactly one person, there was at least six of them. If I didn't come in… you could be in a hospital bed." Or the Neitherworld…

That didn't make Victor feel less weak. In fact, he felt utterly humiliated. He'd just been beaten in front of Lydia. He didn't believe in any of that 'men should be stronger' kind of bullshit, but he still felt humiliated before her.  
"Thank you," he muttered, looking down.

"You would have done the same," said Lydia with a smile. She did worry, though. "I hope I didn't cause you more trouble by helping you… Do you have a safe way home?"

"Not really…" Victor rubbed his shoulder and winced a little. He'd been knocked to the ground on it.

Lydia knew she wouldn't be enough to help Victor. "Don't worry, my friend will make sure nothing happens."

"You mean that B.J guy?" Victor raised a dark brow. He didn't trust that fellow. There was something off about him. Lydia seemed to, but it seemed her heart was open for just about anyone.

"Let's just say they're related…" Lydia said, "Come on, we had better get to class."

Victor swallowed hard but nodded. "Thank you, once again… I really appreciate it." He blushed a little as he looked at her, their eyes meeting. God, she was so pretty. He hadn't seen a girl so flawless before. Her skin was perfect, her eyes bright. He quickly looked away.

Clearing her throat, Lydia shrugged. "I still think you should report it," she noted. "It might not do much, but it still shows you have more courage than just letting it happen."

Victor laughed once more. "Yeah, by getting someone else to stop it for me. Honestly, it's not the first time it's happened and I doubt it'll be the last. I have a feeling you know this all too well yourself, though."

This time it was Lydia to give a short laugh. "Yeah, that girl the other day, Claire… she's a nightmare. I am _not_ looking forward to this prom. Even if I didn't go, she'd still find a way to contact me to prove to me how much of a loser I am."

Victor smiled a little. "Well, if it helps, I don't think you're a loser. I think you're pretty cool."

Looking at him, Lydia blushed before turning away as they headed inside the school. "Thanks… I think."

*****  
When she was in class, Lydia asked if she could be excused and go to the bathroom. When she was inside, she made sure the door was closed before she called Betelgeuse's name three times. With a pop, the ghost was inside the bathroom with her.

This wasn't the first time Betelgeuse had been summoned in the girl's toilets. When you'd been around as long as he had, nothing surprised you.  
"I didn't forget I have a job to do, I've made an appointment-,"

"It's not about that," Lydia butted in, Betelgeuse raising a brow at her.

"So, you're just takin' a time out in the gals bathroom? Thanks for invitin' me, but I've seen better," he winked.

Lydia shook her head. "I called you because… I need a favour."

"Well, sure! Anything for you, babes. What you need?" said the ghost all too enthusiastically as he floated. It wasn't that he was a slave to Lydia, but whenever she needed some help, usually it meant getting back at someone, or needing help with something nasty—his preferred nasty, of course!

"It's Victor."

Betelgeuse landed back on the floor and folded his arms. "Oh, no. If you're gunna call me for personal reasons, I ain't that kinda ghoul."

"Beejay, please," Lydia begged, "Look, I wouldn't ask if I didn't think he was in trouble, but this morning I just had to break up a fight between him and six other guys. You can only imagine who won…"

A snort came from the ghost, but he put his hands up when Lydia glared at him. "Look, 'm sorry your boyfriend's got enemies, but I'm not some kind of protective agency. I got problems of my own, Lyds. You really think he's the only one that's got a bunch of psychos chasin' him?"

"Please, Betelgeuse!" This time, Lydia gave her best puppy-eyed expression.

"Pff," Betelgeuse waved his hand, "You know that doesn't work on me, babes."

Lydia's brows arched even further as he looked at her.

Huffing, Betelgeuse groaned. "Whaddya need me to do?" he said flatly, his shoulders slumping. "If it ain't one chick, it's another," he muttered to himself. Ginger had been groaning and moaning all day and he'd had to suffer it through the walls of the roadhouse they lived in. Not to mention he had other issues.

Lydia smiled thankfully. "Well, I could ask you to haunt them all, but I'd have to show them to you. I just want you to make sure no one hurts him on his way home. I figured I could take him partway, but that's all."

"You boyfriend's gunna be real pleased when he knows a ghost's followin' him, babes… Thought you didn't want him sniffin' up my trousers." He shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Would you stop calling him my boyfriend! I don't even know him that well," she hissed. Betelgeuse just shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly, I don't think he'd be the slightest bit fazed by knowing abou-,"

"Don't even _think_ about it, Lyds!" Betelgeuse said forcefully. There was no way he was having another person knowing his name and calling him out whenever they needed it—especially when he didn't like them and didn't want to be their body guard. If it weren't for Lydia asking, he wouldn't give two shits about the little dork.

"I won't, it's okay. So, you'll do it?" she beamed, her hands clasping together. It wasn't like she'd betray Betelgeuse like that. She would never reveal his name to other people, not even her parents knew that she was friends with him. If Delia and Charles knew about him, they'd flip! Adam and Barbara were bad enough when it came to Betelgeuse.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll do it…" muttered the ghost, "But you owe me. Doomie and I were gunna go to the Monster trucks! Ginger needs someone to check in on her 'cause she's sick."

"Oh, of course," Lydia said. "Why didn't you tell me before? I would have checked in on her either way."

"Hey, it's not like I know what my neighbours are doin' all the time," complained Betelgeuse, folding his arms once more.

Lydia smiled, knowing Betelgeuse just pretended to hate them. "Alright, I'll come by tonight once you've taken care of everything."

Betelgeuse frowned a little as Lydia moved past him. "Hey… I was… uh… wonderin'; we have a spare ticket… if you… you know… wanna join us afterwards? I mean, for Doomie—you know how much he likes ya. Unless you have plans with _Victor_," he moaned.

Arching a brow, Lydia put a finger to her mouth for a moment. She knew she hadn't been out with Betelgeuse on one of their friendly dates in a while, but school was catching up to her and she had to be prepared for these exams.  
"I should really study, Beejay. I gotta get working on a new dress design, too," she said softly and apologetically. She saw him frown. "But, hey… what's one night, right? Count me in. How can I resist knowing the trucks will be _real_ monsters."

Betelgeuse chuckled. "Say those magic B words and we'll be on our way!"

"First, you have a job to do," Lydia said, tapping him on the shoulder.

Betelgeuse could have gritted his teeth, instead he just mumbled to himself and walked out of the girls toilets without a care.

Lydia gasped, but thankfully no one was there. She waved goodbye as she saw his outfit change into overalls as he headed to the front office. She returned to class.

*****

Lydia sat with Victor, Prudence and Bertha when it came to breaks. Prudence and Bertha were more than willing to help Victor settle in with them and commended Lydia for her patch up work. It wasn't until after school Lydia saw Betelgeuse again, not a speck of dust on him (from the work he'd done). Obviously he'd been using ghoul tools again.  
When it was time to go home, she called him over while she was waiting for Victor. Obviously he was talking to one of the teachers. Well, it was either that or he wasn't coming, but she didn't think that was the case. Victor had been nothing but nice to her since they'd met.

"So, where is he? You know I can't be here all day, babes…" complained Betelgeuse. Plus, Lydia had to check in with Ginger before they left.

Lydia looked around concernedly. "He should be here…" she murmured, "I guess he's waiting back for something. I mean, he wouldn't lie to me. He said it would be okay to walk home together. Well… until my house anyway."

Betelgeuse shrugged his shoulders as he zapped his suit back on. "Looks like you've been stood up, Lyds." He rolled his sleeves up. "I'll show 'im!" No one stood his best friend up and got away with it!

She didn't believe it. Victor wouldn't do something like that. "No, Beejay," she said, putting her hands up, "I don't believe that's what he'd do. Not after I helped him this morning. I may not know him, but he definitely doesn't seem like the guy to stand someone up on purpose."

Rolling his eyes, Betelgeuse felt his patience slipping. The more he heard about this Victor, the more he was growing to dislike his oh-so-pleasing nature. He gritted his teeth as Lydia suggested them searching the grounds. It wouldn't be such a pain in the arse if he could use his magic, but in the Outerworld where folks could see him, it wasn't such a smart idea.  
He groaned as Lydia tugged on his arm and they started searching inside. "This would be a lot faster if I could use my Juice," he said, looking at Lydia. He had plans! He didn't want to be spending his afternoon looking for some loser when he could be… well, doing nothing!

It was dangerous, and she didn't like the idea, but Betelgeuse was right. They couldn't spend too long looking for him.  
"Okay, but please be careful," she said, watching him grin before he disappeared through one of the walls. She continued walking down the main corridor.

Now, if he were a teenage boy, where would he be? Heh, well, that probably wasn't the same place Victor would be, was it? He snorted to himself as he went invisible inside the teacher's lounge. Inside, Miss Shannon was by herself. Oh, yes, this was too perfect.  
He chuckled before he made her coffee as cold as ice as she took a sip. She shook her head and looked at the kettle that had just boiled curiously. He could do much worse, but that was for making him write lines all day yesterday. Plus, he'd told Lydia he wouldn't hurt anyone. Had to keep to his word, right?  
Before he left, he dropped a few stray cockroaches onto the floor to let them roam around the office. When he floated out, he heard her wail and he cackled to himself. However, he stopped when he heard something that wasn't Miss Shannon screaming, leaning his head out through the bricks.  
"Huh…" he muttered, floating through the wall and outside around the corner. Deadly vu. Quickly, he plated his combat boots to the ground and straightened up his tie. "Yo!" he called, the larger boy turning to him. Victor was pressed against the wall by the other. This kid was hopeless…  
"You should really think 'bout pickin' on somebody your own size, pal," he said, walking over. "What's your name, kid?" He grabbed the back of his shirt collar and pulled him off his feet with ease to read his nametag up close and personally. "Davey, ey?"

Davey gasped. "Hey, get your filthy hands off me!"

"Aw, thanks, kid," Betelgeuse smiled, dropping him onto the floor and putting his boot onto him. "Next time ya wanna get rough, _I'll_ get rough with ya!" It took all his willpower not to Juice the guy. Instead, he pulled out a bee hive from behind his back. "These lil' guys wanna have some fun, though." A maniacal grin covered his face.

As the hive plopped straight onto his belly, Davey screamed and pushed it away. He scrambled to his feet and ran for his life, tripping over his feet a few times before he was finally out of sight.

Betelgeuse cackled as he stomped his foot on the hive, crushing it to show it was empty. "I love it when they scream."

Victor looked over, looking at the hollow and open hive. "Th-thank you, mister," he said, "But you could have severely harmed him if that wasn't empty. He's allergic to bees."

Oh, such gratitude! Sticking up for the guy who had you pinned against a wall? This kid really was hopeless. Betelgeuse was about to snap back when Lydia ran over.

"Are you okay!?" The girl ran over to help Victor and brushed him down a bit. She'd seen what had happened, and the way Betelgeuse had actually helped him. He may try and keep his cruel and pranking reputation, but deep inside, she knew he was a sensitive ghoul. After all, she wouldn't be best friends with him if he was a complete jerk. He could be big headed (very big headed), but he always learnt his lesson—well, somewhat.

"I'm-I'm fine," Victor said, removing Lydia's hands from him as he blushed heavily.

Betelgeuse groaned.

"Thank you…"

"Oh, this is Mr Beetleman, he helped fix the pipe that broke in class," Lydia quickly said.

Betelgeuse bowed. "Pleasure to be of service," he said formally and overdramatically.

Victor nodded. "Thank you, once again. Heh, I'm sure Davey won't be coming back for a while with that performance."

"Ran like a girl, didn' he?" Betelgeuse snorted. Lydia eyed him and he shrugged, "Well I wouldn' call you any ol' gal, Lyds."

Lydia smirked before she returned to Victor. "Are you sure you're okay?" He didn't look any more beaten up than he had been this morning, but this was still troubling. How many times did this Davey kid beat on him? How safe was he once the boy's school returned back to Briarwood? Thankfully, school would be over soon and hopefully he'd never have to deal with Davey again.

"I'm alright, honestly," reassured Victor, putting his hand on Lydia's shoulder. "Looks like I owe you my life once more. Thankfully, he didn't get any hits in this time round."

Betelgeuse hissed as he saw Victor's hand on his best friend.

Lydia chuckled, "I think Mister Beetleman was the real hero here." She smiled thankfully to her friend and he relaxed, looking proud of himself. "Oh, Betelgeuse," she mouthed dramatically in his direction.

"Heh, no worries, kid, but it ain't gunna be some every day thing. I got an afterlife of my own, ya know."

"Did you just say… 'afterlife'?" Victor's brow raised.

Lydia went stiff as she laughed nervously. "He likes to joke around. You know, we're a bit gothic. Deathly." She waved her fingers.

"Anyway, where's this kid's home? It's gettin' late, past your bedtime, right?" Betelgeuse interrupted, grabbing Lydia's arm. "We got a date, babes, and you still gotta check in on ol' tippety tap. We can't be here all night."

Betelgeuse was right, she needed to check in on Ginger. "So where's home?" she asked as Victor grabbed his bag and put it on his shoulder. "I think we can take it from here, Beej. I don't think that other guy will be causing any trouble any time soon."

Betelgeuse's eyes narrowed a little. Oh, so she wanted to be _alone_ with Victor. He grumbled. "Fine. Call me when you and your boyfriend are finally separated." He walked around the corner and vanished before Lydia could say anything more.

Rubbing her neck, Lydia frowned at the ghost's behaviour. She wasn't stupid, though. This happened every time she got a new friend. Betelgeuse got overly jealous over it because it meant he had to spend less time with her considering he couldn't be in the Outerworld all the time like her other friends who were alive.  
She didn't mean for him to feel that way, but that's how life was. Betelgeuse was dead. He couldn't be here and allow the living to know of the supernatural and what happened after death. Not to mention the religious views. Betelgeuse was better off hidden—even if she hated it.  
"Come on, Victor," she said softly. Betelgeuse would get over it, he always did. He wasn't one to really hold onto grudges—he just liked to let others think he did. He could be such a child.

Not having heard the conversation between the other two, Victor smiled as they headed to the bike stands and got Lydia's bike. "So, how long have you two known each other for?"

"Huh…? Why?" Lydia asked, as if something had been obvious between them. Deadly vu, she hoped that he didn't recognise Betelgeuse as B.J…

"Oh, he called you 'Lyds', so I was just wondering. No one else calls you it. Heh, it's nice nickname, though. Mind if I call you that, too?"

Lydia almost dropped her bike, continuing to walk as if it were nothing. "Um… sure, if you like. I guess I don't mind. I'm pretty used to it now," she chuckled. Only Betelgeuse ever called her 'Lyds' but she couldn't see the harm in others using it, too. Others just preferred to use her full name.

"Cool," Victor said, trying to sound more smooth.

Lydia looked at him and laughed.

"I'm sorry, I just-,"

"It's okay, seriously. But just be yourself. You don't need to impress me," she said with a smile.

Feeling sheepish, Victor shrugged. "Well, you're pretty impressive, so…"

This time, Lydia felt herself blush as she looked away. Something about this felt just too fast for her. She didn't even know Victor very well, but it wasn't like he was annoying her. In fact, it was nice to have someone compliment her. Also, it wasn't like they were dating. She didn't know if he liked her or not, he was just being polite. Something she wasn't used to considering her best friend and the people around her.  
She shrugged it off in a playful manner, joking with him that the weird people were much cooler than anyone else she ever knew.  
When they reached her house, she put her bike up. "I'll see you tomorrow at school, then?"

"Hopefully you won't have to save my life again," said Victor, rubbing his bruised cheek. The makeup Lydia had covered over the bruise was still going strong. Thankfully it meant his mum and dad wouldn't see it and hopefully the swelling would go down tonight.

Lydia smirked. "I don't think you'll have to worry about Davey anymore." She knew Betelgeuse would be visiting him tonight.

Victor nodded in appreciation. He hoped there wouldn't be any more humiliating times Lydia ran into him like that. It was about time he did something nice for her.  
"Are you free tonight? I thought, well, considering you've helped me twice now, that I could repay the favour. Go see a movie. Nothing serious, just as friends," he quickly added as Lydia looked at him.

"I can't…" she said softly. "I have to check in on a friend who's sick. I also made plans already." She'd offer him to come along, but Betelgeuse obviously only had a limited amount of tickets. Plus, she didn't think Betelgeuse was very fond of Victor.  
She felt awful when she saw Victor nod unhappily. She didn't want him to think that he was rejecting him or something. "What about tomorrow? I can't stay out too late, though, exams are coming and I need to design my new dress for prom."

More than excitedly, Victor said, "Oh, yeah. Sure, that's totally fine. I'll have you back before your parents worry about you. I promise."

Lydia could have rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure they'd notice," she muttered to herself. "I'll see you tomorrow, then. Be safe on your way home."

Victor nodded. Before Lydia could disappear, he called her name to stop her. "Thank you… really. You didn't have to help me back there, but you did. I appreciate it." It was the first time anyone had really stood up for him.

Smiling, Lydia just nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow." She then headed inside. She needed to see Ginger, and she needed to tell Betelgeuse that he couldn't stop her from making friends. Boys or not.


	4. Juno

Chapter IV: Juno

Lydia knocked on the roadhouse door as she summoned herself to the Neitherworld, dressed in her red spider web poncho. It was Jacques who answered the door, to her surprise.

"Oh-la-la, 'ello, Lydia," said the skeleton in his thick French accent. "Ging'er is just down zee 'allway!"

Walking in, Lydia followed Jacques down the hall to Ginger's apartment. "Where's Betelgeuse?" she asked, looking around. She figured he would have been here. After he'd been so moody, maybe he was out trying to relax? She felt guilt settle in her stomach.

"Oh, Be-a-telgeuse is out. 'E 'as an appointment with Juno. 'E said 'e will be back to pick you up zo you don't miss zee show," said Jacques with a toothy smile. He knew all too well Betelgeuse liked him as a neighbour, even if the ghost would never admit it. He didn't need to; his skeletons in the closet told him.

Juno? Why in the Neitherworld would he be seeing that old goat? She wondered why Betelgeuse didn't tell her… He hated that woman and usually enjoyed bitching about her. Why wouldn't he mention having an appointment with her? It wasn't like Betelgeuse was actually busy doing anything else…  
She pushed the thought aside and followed Jacques down the hallway to Ginger's apartment. "Thanks, Jacques, I appreciate it." Her voice turned distant, but she had a job to do. She had to check in on her friend.

"Oh, no, it is not a probl'em, Lydia." Jacques patted Lydia on the shoulder and led her in to see Ginger.

"Oh, hi, Lydia," Ginger said softly, her eyes looking up to the girl. "Betelgeuse told me you'd be coming by."

"I didn't realise spiders could get so sick," Lydia mused, looking at the bed-ridden arachnid. "Is there anything I can get you?"

Ginger shook her head, wrapped up in a web blanket. "Jacques took the night off work, so he said he could check in on me. I'll be fine, Lydia, it's just a cold, I'm sure."

"Okay, but tell me if you need anything. Or Betelgeuse, he'll get back to me about it." She wondered again why Betelgeuse didn't tell her about Juno. Why would he even _need_ an appointment with her? He'd been trying to avoid her his whole afterlife after the Maitland incident.  
"Well, I may as well stay with you until Beejay comes back. I don't know how long he's going to be, he didn't tell me," she murmured, both Jacques and Ginger sharing a glance.

"Oh, I'm sure it just slipped 'is mind, Lydia," said the skeleton as he put his hand onto her shoulder reassuringly. "You know Be-a-telgeuse."

"Yeah, he finally got a job. He can earn some cash now."

"Betelgeuse has a job," said Lydia. "He still does exorcisms, I thought." Both Ginger and Jacques shared a worried glance once more. "What's going on?" Okay, what wasn't Betelgeuse telling her? And why!? They were supposed to be best friends!

Jacques put his hands together. "Er… Be-a-telgeuse has not done zhat since your friends, zee Maitland's."

"He's only just started working for Juno again… Punishment from Judge Mental," Ginger explained.

"What!? How long has this been going on!? He can't be getting punished for all of that! That was years ago now!" said Lydia. God, she'd been a child when that all happened! She was much older now! She'd put it behind her, and so had Betelgeuse. Why was he getting punished for it only _now_!?

"Hon, what's years for you is merely seconds to the Neitherworld. We work slower here," said Ginger, coughing for a moment before she wiped her nose with a tiny tissue. "You gotta remember that the Neitherworld works differently. Sometimes faster, too. It's a lot different from the Outerworld. Sometimes things don't make sense at all!"

She had that right. "But Beejay usually gets in trouble right away…"

"Eh… zhis has been in zee works for quite some time," said Jacques. "Not to mention zee whole sandworm and shrunken 'ead thing. Per'aps you should speak with 'im yourself. Why don't you go and wait for 'im? I can look after Ging'er."

Lydia just nodded, not really knowing what to say. She wished Ginger to get well soon before she headed out of the apartment and down to Betelgeuse's. She had a spare key and opened the door—he usually didn't mind her being inside. Plus, he gave it to her anyway, considering the whole name thing would sometimes call her here. And if he wasn't here, then she could stay here and wait. Now that sort of seemed to make sense why he'd be out and got home grumpy sometimes. He usually brushed it off. Perhaps it was Juno?  
Closing the door behind her, she walked inside, seeing clothes and other various things on the ground—the usual. She picked them up and put them on the lounge so they wouldn't get trodden on.  
"Beejay, you home?" she asked, just making sure. She walked around to the bedroom, the door ajar. She pushed it in. His bed was a mess, sheets over the coffin. She did smile at the photo of her on the side, though. She had one of him in her own bedside table. Of course, she had to put it away so her parents wouldn't see it. They'd go mental if they knew they'd become friends after what had happened—not to mention Betelgeuse could have killed her father. She knew it was his 'job' to scare them when the Maitland's hired him, but still. At least now he'd gotten a bit of a soft spot for Charles—even if he wouldn't admit it. Betelgeuse didn't admit much, really. Except for their friendship.  
Picking up the photo, she saw something behind it. A ring. He must have forgotten to put it on. He always wore his rings. No wait… This ring was the ring he put on when they were about to get married. She looked at the ring on her own finger. Despite what it had originally been for, it was now a promise ring that they shared to show their friendship. She wondered why he wasn't wearing it. It actually hurt her more than she realised.  
She heard the door open and she dropped it, startled. Oh crap! She looked quickly under the bed but it wasn't there! She didn't have time to pick up the junk under the bed and search either. Hopefully he just wouldn't notice it was gone and she quickly ran out of the room to see Betelgeuse with a cigarette in his mouth, tossing his hat where the clothes were on the lounge.

"Hey, Lyds, you ready?" asked the ghost.

"Why didn't you tell me you were working for Juno again?" she asked.

Betelgeuse looked up for a moment and huffed. Fucking Jacques and Ginger! "Look, babe, it's not what it looks like. I was gunna tell ya, it just didn't happen to come up," he said with a shrug. "Not like it's somethin' I'm proud of. I hate it, but Judge Mental blah, blah, blah." He didn't want to get into the details right now.

Lydia frowned. "You could have told me either way," she said softly, walking up to him. "Is this why you've picked up smoking again?"

"Mm, maybe," said Betelgeuse, brushing it off. "Come on, babes, we gotta go. You wanna get a good seat, right?" This really wasn't something he wanted to talk about. He didn't do the whole 'feelings' thing.

Wait, was this how Betelgeuse had money now? Because he was back to working under Juno?  
"Only if you tell me everything," she bribed. "You want me to go, then you have to talk to me."

Rolling his eyes, Betelgeuse leant an arm over Lydia lazily. "You really wanna hear all about that slit-throat bitch, Lyds? Why don't we just go already!? Doomie's waitin' on ya!"

Alright, fine. He could get out of it for now, but she wanted to know about it after the show. She removed his arm and walked over to the door.  
"I hope you don't think this excuses anything, Beejay. I want you to tell me about it after the show. I'm not going to quit!"

He had no doubt about that. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered before putting the cigarette out and following her outside to Doomie. The car honked its horn excitedly at the sight of Lydia.

"Hey, Doomie." Lydia patted her hand over Doomie's bonnet and the car honked happily once more. She giggled and got into the passenger seat, Betelgeuse getting in the driver's side.

"Well, Doomie, you know where to go," said Betelgeuse, sitting back and letting the car take over. Doomie revved and they were off.

*****  
"I just _knew_ they'd be real monsters!" said Lydia as they drove out of the drive-in. "That was great! You have fun, Doomie?" she asked, patting the dashboard.

Doomie honked in a yes.

The show had been full of wicked (real) monster trucks, much like Doomie's were-form. Violence and destruction, yes, but it was all in good nature for the show. Thankfully, Lydia was reassured that no 'monsters' were harmed during the show. She gathered it was like wrestling on TV.  
She leant back in her seat and drank the coke she got from the show. She was glad that they still had real people food here in the Neitherworld. Not everyone ate like Betelgeuse. In fact… she was pretty sure he was the only one that ate that way. And he still ate the occasional normalcy.  
"I better go home after we get back, though. I still need to study. I also need to start designing my new dress," she said. She didn't forget that she needed to hear about Betelgeuse, but she didn't realise the show was going to end so late.

"Hey, you still seeing that dork?" asked Betelgeuse. He was surprised the thought had even popped into his head. Why was he even thinking of that little dweeb?

"Victor isn't a dork," pushed Lydia, "He's actually very nice." That didn't mean she was going to the dance with him, though. "And would you stop saying it like we're dating? We're not." She made that clear.

"Oh yeah? Might wanna tell Jethro that," snorted the ghost. He felt Lydia slap his arm and he winced. "Hey, whoa there, tiger, I was just kiddin'!"

"Betelgeuse, you've got to stop getting so jealous of me having other friends," she said as they'd pulled up at the roadhouse. She absentmindedly toyed with the ring on her ringer.

"Me!? Jealous!?" shrieked Betelgeuse. He snorted and put his hand to his chest. "What do I have to be jealous over that kid? He can't even stick up for himself! I'm a rebel, babes, you know I can."

Lydia looked away, not knowing what to say. Betelgeuse was kind of right. Ever since she'd met Victor, he hadn't been able to stand up for himself at all. To be fair, Davey was bigger than him, but still. He could have showed some kind of courage.  
"That doesn't make him any kind of loser," she tried to fight back as she got out of the car, "It just means he's got a soft heart."

"Yee-uck!" Betelgeuse hissed, his tongue hanging out.

"Oh, c'mon, Beejay," she said as he got out of the car and Doomie put himself away, "It's not so bad to be sensitive. After all, I know you are when you want to be."

Betelgeuse fluttered his eyes and put his hands together. "Babes, you really know how to make a dead guy's heart beat again," he snorted before putting his hands back down. "I'm the ghost with the most, babes, I don't need anyone else tellin' me that."

"Oh yeah?" Lydia rolled her eyes. "You love being praised, Betelgeuse, and we _all_ know it," she sighed as she walked inside the roadhouse.

Betelgeuse just chuckled. "To a certain extent," he mumbled to himself before he followed Lydia inside. "You really gotta go home? It's still early!" He tapped his watch that stated it was almost midnight.

Lydia's eyes shot open. "Deadly vu, I won't even have time to study!" she cried. "I should really get going. I'll talk to you later, Beejay!" She was sure her parents didn't notice her disappearance—they hardly did considering she locked herself in her room most of the time (when she wasn't outside with her camera). Still, she needed sleep, it was a school night.

Betelgeuse stopped her by teleporting in front of her. "Hey, what are you so worried 'bout? It's not like Chuck and Delia will notice you're gone. When do they ever?" he shorted. "Er, not that I mean any offence by that," he added quickly. "Why don't you just sleep here?"

"I can't, Beejay," said Lydia frowning. It was sad that even Betelgeuse knew her parents wouldn't notice her absence. She knew they did care, but Delia was so into her art and her father was so into relaxing, they just had other things to concentrate on a lot of the time. There was a plus side, though: she got to hang out with Betelgeuse a lot without them pestering her where she'd been.  
"Besides, you have work, too," she reminded him. "You can't just do whatever you want anymore. And I still want to know why you didn't tell me, so don't even think you're out of the woods yet."

"Chicks…" he muttered.

Lydia smirked. "G'night, Beejay." She then said 'home' three times and was teleported back to her normal room. She sighed heavily. She didn't have time to study right now, so she got herself changed and went to bed.

Back in the Neitherworld, Betelgeuse figured he should do what Lydia said—be a responsible adult and go to bed considering he _did_ have work. It wasn't that bad, Juno and he hated one another, but it was fun getting to piss her off.  
He'd already pissed her off so much she'd sent him home early today. Maybe he could do it all over again tomorrow! He got to annoy dead people, tell them how miserable their afterlife was going to be, and he got payed for it! The filing he tended to drone out… But it was work for Juno or a ticket to Sandworm Valley. He'd take the work—even if he hated it.  
He chuckled as he floated over to the fish tank and fed his piranha a small fish from the other tank. The water soon turned red and he grinned. "Well, better go to bed. Got nothin' better to do anyway," he muttered to himself as he drifted through the wall and headed towards the coffin. He was changed with a snap of the fingers and plopped himself down.  
"Huh… " he murmured, leaning back up. He frowned. Okay, who had been in his room? Ginger? Jacques? Nah, what the hell would they want with his room? Something was definitely moved, though.  
Wait, Lydia had been here before he got home. He quirked a brow. What had that little goth gotten up to, and why would she be in his room? Then again, it wasn't like it was the first time Lydia had been in his home alone. He trusted her enough.  
Whatever it was, he didn't care too much and he took his rings off, putting them onto the drawer. Lazily, he chucked one of them too hard and it bounced off, rolling into the floor and under his bed.  
He huffed and dropped, pushing the sheets back. "There you are, you little shit," he said, grabbing it. That's when he saw something else. Another ring. His ring. Actually, the ring he shared with Lydia. A friendship ring that had previously been a wedding ring.  
A shudder went down his spine at the thought. Damnit, he really thought he'd fucked up their relationship with that one. Thankfully, Lydia was able to get past it all. But what was it doing on the floor? He wasn't stupid, Lydia had obviously found it and… dropped it when he came back home? She did rush back into the living room.  
Getting back up, he sat himself on the bed, holding the ring up. Honestly, shit like this wouldn't get to him, especially if it were anyone else. However, this was Lydia. She'd recognise the rings he shoved on both of their fingers in desperate need to get out of the Neitherworld—something she probably could never forget.  
There was that disgusting heavy feeling in his gut again. Guilt. She'd found it and knew he wasn't wearing it. Hell, it wasn't like he did it on purpose… Okay, that was a complete lie. He took it off because it started to make him feel strange. Heavy. He didn't really know why and what it meant, and he didn't want to, but now Lydia—being a girl—probably thought he didn't like her anymore or something like that.  
Putting it on the bedside table to join with the others, he felt like popping into Lydia's mirror and asking her what the deal was, but she would be sleeping now, and (if only for Lydia) he didn't feel like waking her up when she was already going on about studying and whatnot. Instead, he turned off the lamp and went to sleep. Surely it wasn't that much of a hassle. It was just a ring, wasn't it?

*****  
In the morning, Lydia woke up from her alarm clock going off, slapping it and rolling over with a groan. She didn't get much sleep last night because her mind had been racing. She had been thinking too many things. Victor, study, plans for her dress for prom, and what was going on with her best friend.  
She flopped herself onto her back, not wanting to get up. She knew it was a school day, but she felt like she could sleep another ten hours straight. And then she heard Delia call out her name, making her nose scrunch up.  
"Coming!" she yelled back, rolling her eyes. She slipped the covers off and sighed, running her fingers through her bed-hair. She stopped when there was a whistle from the mirror. She almost screamed when she saw Betelgeuse watching her.  
"Betelgeuse!" she yelled, startled by his appearance.

"Two more times and I'll be there to put that cute little school outfit on ya," he snickered.

Lydia hissed. Her pyjamas were hardly show-offish. They were a matching t-shirt and long pants, black in colour. Hardly anything to get excited over.  
"Very funny, Beejay," she yawned, sitting back on her bed. "What are you doing here? Don't you have work? I've told you a hundred times not to sneak up on me like that, too."

Betelgeuse just smirked. Like he ever listened. "Don't remind me of the 'W' word, babes. Just figured I'd call in an' see when you had a spare minute or two."

Lydia perked up a little curiously. Oh yeah, considering Betelgeuse now had a job, he couldn't just pop in any time he wanted to. They'd have to have some kind of schedule. That was going to take some getting used to.  
"I've got a few minutes," she said, stepping off her bed and grabbing her school uniform, "What's up?" She threw her jacket on over her shoulders to cover herself as she got changed, turning her back to the ghost.

"Are you ever gunna turn around and let me see those?" complained the ghost, leaning against the frame of the mirror. She teased him so.

Lydia just rolled her eyes and laughed. "No, Beejay." This wasn't new. Their friendship was very open and she was comfortable getting changed in the same room as Betelgeuse. Besides, she was covering herself, anyway. It wasn't like she'd let him see her nude or anything. They were best friends! Amazingly, she did trust him and knew if he ever did anything, it was probably in good nature—even if it was still perving. She'd gotten used to his behaviour.  
Doing her buttons up, she turned around and took her jacket off. "So? Anything you'd like to talk about?" she asked, slipping her promise ring onto her finger.

"Er… yeah," mumbled the ghost, "but you gotta call me out."

Always a catch. Lydia sighed as she put her school skirt on before removing her pyjama pants. "Alright, but I have to send you back soon. Delia's already called me down."

Betelgeuse just shrugged before his name was said three times and he appeared inside the room. He plonked himself on the side of the bed and leant over. "I know you were in my room last night, Lyds." He flashed his hand that had the ring on it now.

Lydia stiffened a little as she looked at him, standing up. She had guilty written all over her face. Okay, she was caught. It wasn't like she'd done anything bad, though, and Betelgeuse didn't seem pissed off over it.  
"I'm sorry, Beejay. I was just waiting for you to come home, so I checked around. I saw that you weren't wearing your ring." She stopped when he put his hand up.

"Babes, I seriously don' care. You bein' in my bedroom is more excitin'." He grinned mischievously.

Lydia frowned seriously. "Oh, come on, Betelgeuse. Why weren't you wearing your ring? And why didn't you tell me about Juno? Why are you acting so strange and keeping things from me? Don't you realise I may be gone soon? It feels like you're not taking anything seriously anymore. I know you like your pranks and playing around, but can't we be serious for a moment?"

Betelgeuse just raised a brow before he heard Delia call out Lydia's name more forcefully this time. "Looks like I've been saved by the witch," he muttered, "Sorry, babes, gotta go to work." He tapped his watch. For once in his life, he was thankful he had somewhere else he could disappear to.  
He gasped dramatically when Lydia grabbed his collar and looked at him seriously. Boy, she was really serious about all of this. He just looked at her innocently, brows arching.

"I'm not letting this go, Betelgeuse."

"Hey! It's not my fault you're mum's such a drag-,"

"Betelgeuse!"

"Whoa, one more time and I'm outta your fingers, babes—quite literally," he said, putting a finger up.

Lydia sighed, shaking her head and letting go. "Betelgeuse." The ghost was gone with a flash and she flopped herself on the bed for a moment. She didn't even have time to worry about this right now. She had to go to school, and then she had a date with Victor tonight. One she hadn't even mentioned to Betelgeuse.  
It wasn't like it was a date, really. It was just a movie. A movie with a new friend. That's all it was. It was a way for them to get to know one another just a little bit more. Plus, if Betelgeuse didn't want to talk seriously, then fine. He could act like a child.  
She got back up and grabbed her books, putting them into her bag before heading downstairs to eat breakfast.

*****  
While she was in class, Lydia tried to concentrate. She was angry, though. She didn't understand why Betelgeuse was trying to ignore the fact that she wouldn't be in Peaceful Pines all her life. She was graduating soon, and then she'd be in university. They couldn't hang out as much, if at all when this happened!  
School was demanding, but university was even more so. Not to mention Betelgeuse had work now. God, did he ever think about this kind of stuff? About their friendship!? About _her!?_ They were best friends, she thought he'd think about her a little bit more, but clearly he didn't care. And that hurt. Betelgeuse didn't care about many people, but she thought she was different. Apparently not.  
She rested her cheek on her knuckles, sighing mentally as she tried to ignore Claire whispering behind her. Maybe this was her turn to be selfish. She shouldn't even be thinking of Betelgeuse, she was going out with Victor tonight. She needed to think of what she would wear, what they were going to see. She knew The Crow was out now and she'd been dying to see it. Should she bring anything?  
She jumped when the bell rang, startling her out of her thoughts. Pushing it all aside, she grabbed her belongings and headed outside for lunch.

*****  
In Juno's office, Betelgeuse floated with a cup of coffee for her. As her assistant once more, he had to do everything for her—a real pain in the arse.  
"Your highness," he mocked, planting it down into the table. Despite the fact that Juno could no longer eat or drink, he figured it was going to be fun watching natural habit happen before him.

"Shut up," Juno spat, taking the coffee by pure instinct. She was too busy to bother with him, nor was she any more pleased than Betelgeuse about this little arrangement. She didn't understand why she had to be punished for his crimes as well? It wasn't like it was her fault! She had _warned_ the Maitland's not to call him out! But no, apparently that wasn't enough and had given them the wrong idea—thus she was being punished for even mentioning his name to them.

Leaning his elbows onto the table and floating just above the floor annoyingly, he gave her a smug smile. Juno put the mug to her lips and took a drink. Like expected, the liquid came right out the slit in her throat, making him slap his hand across the table and cackle wildly.

"Why you…!" the elderly ghost sneered, hot coffee dribbling down her throat and top. She slammed the mug onto the desk and stood up, "Don't you have anyone else you can go and pester!?"

Betelgeuse stood back up and folded his arms. "I'm all yours, babes. Judge's rules, 'member?"

Juno just groused. "I can't believe I'm stuck with your mess one more time," she muttered. "Get out of my office. I don't care if you have to make a small appearance here every day, I won't be putting up with your bullshit."

The perks of having this job were getting better and better. Just show up, piss off the boss enough for her to throw you out and get paid for it!  
"Just tell me how ya did it and I'll be on my way," he said, his finger slicing against his neck. Juno scowled and a pot plant was tossed in his direction. Snakes came out of his hair as he screamed and fled from the room.  
Well, now that he was off work early (again), he could head back over to the Outerworld and bother Lydia some more. He popped from the office and attached himself to Lydia's bike on the shiny surface. She was sitting by it with a sketch pad out. There was a lot of noise, so it was obviously lunch time.  
"Yo, babes!" he said, his voice squeaky. When Lydia looked at him, he grinned, "Let me out!"

Startled, Lydia looked at the small reflection on the rim of the wheel. "Betelgeuse, what are you doing here? I'm still in school! Others will see you!"

"Nah, just call me into the toilets. No biggy!" said the ghost with a grin. When Lydia gave a concerned look, he huffed. "C'mooon, just for a few minutes."

"Alright, but you can't be too long. My friends will probably wonder where I went off to."

Betelgeuse looked around. "You're sittin' by yourself, babes…"

"They went to the vending machine," Lydia said. She stood up and put her sketch book down. "I'll see you in the bathrooms."  
When Betelgeuse disappeared from the bike, she headed off to the girl's bathroom and stepped inside. Making sure no one else was in there with her, she locked the latch on the door and called Betelgeuse's name three times.

Appearing fully in the girl's bathroom, Betelgeuse brushed himself down. "So, what's goin' on?" he asked.

Lydia hadn't forgotten about this morning, and she was still annoyed about his behaviour. "Why are you off work so early? Do you always finish now?"

"Nah, Juno couldn't handle me so she tossed me out," said Betelgeuse without a care.

"She tossed you out!?" Lydia burst out, clamping her hand over her mouth for a second as she'd been too loud. She lowered her hand when no one made a noise outside. "Betelgeuse, this is punishment and you're getting fired already!? When are you going to take things seriously!?"

"Hey, she didn't pull the plug on me, Lyds, she just said I could go home early," said the ghost, leaning against a cubicle. "You really think that bitch enjoys havin' me around again? I quit from her the first time 'cause she was nothin' but a control freak! I don't do rules, babes, you know that."

Lydia shook her head. "Everyone has to obey rules once in their life, Betelgeuse, and that means you-,"

"Hey, I'm already dead! My life's been over for hundreds of years."

"That's not what I mean!" She gave a frustrated noise and slapped her hands down her sides. "Do you want to get thrown to the Sandworms?"

Betelgeuse stiffened at the word, standing up. "Gee, what's your problem, Lyds? Is it that time of the month?"

What!? No! Lydia gave another aggravated noise. "How _dare_ you blame me being serious on that!? Betelgeuse, you're a grown man! Don't you realise that you can't spend the rest of your afterlife acting like a child all the time!? I'm going to university soon! Do you even _care_!?"

Betelgeuse waved a hand. "Hey, I got no issue with rags, babes. Back in my day that's what they used! Despite the fact that-,"

"Is that _all_ you think about!?" hissed the girl, her eyes furious now. They were almost glazed with tears.

Okay, temper tantrum. He'd said the wrong thing. Betelgeuse gave a large exhale. "Alright, alright, I didn't wear the ring because I was pissed off, okay? Nothin' personal!"

Pissed off? What the hell did she ever do to him!? "At… at me?" How could she not find that personal!? In any way whatsoever!? That was the whole fucking point of these rings!

"What? No. Er… that came out wrong," said the ghost, scratching his head. Lydia looked shocked, even more so upset. He wasn't as dumb as he made himself out to be. Despite his greediness, he was quite intelligent, and he knew he'd upset her.

"Then what…?"

The ghost groaned. He hated emotional crap, it was so draining. "Look, babes, it's nothing. I got it on now, right?" he said as he held his hand up, "Isn't that all that matters?"

That he had it on!? "No!" she called out, "It doesn't matter that it's just _on_. The whole point of these were to be promise rings so we'd be best friends forever! God, Beejay, I thought this meant something to you—to us! I thought _I_ meant something more."

"Don't you think you're overreacting, babes?" suggested Betelgeuse. Boy was he wrong. How many years had he been around women, and he still said the worst thing possible when someone was upset.  
Lydia's ring hit him right in the forehead and he winced, fumbling it in his hands. She opened the door and ran out, saying his name three times before she was out of sight. With a flash, the Outerword was gone around him and he was back inside the roadhouse.  
What the hell had just happened!?


End file.
